At a long, and sometimes bad tempered meeting, the latest Frome Town Matters event discussed the Saxonvale development - with only two days left to oppose the current plans.

But hearing that there are new documents relating to the controversial centre of town site - it was agreed that a strong appeal should be made to extend the consultation period on the Mendip Planning portal.

Several documents have been added in late January to the overall proposal, and there are no hard copies of the additional details, even in the Town Hall itself.

At the open meeting,the head of Frome's Civic Society dismissed the outline proposals, which were shown by the Saxonvale architect as : "Totally unacceptable. It is the last big employment site in the heart of Frome. It just doesn't go anywhere needed, it is a key point to provide employment for people from the town, how can this be sustainable if people have to go out of Frome for work? "

The balance of work and housing at the site was fiercely disputed by many in the room, who argued that the current plans would only create 300 jobs.

Architect Edward Naish disagreed that there was not enough space allocated to working on site, which it has been announced will include 45,000 sq ft of new commercial space, and that they had worked sympathetically to create spaces that could be used for work/life elements.

He said: "What we have tried to do is break down distinctions between where you work and where you live. It means people are around more so they can enjoy where they live in that kind of integrated neighbourhood. "

He stressed that the idea the site should create hundreds of jobs was a hangover from when an application was made for the Saxonvale site to house a supermarket.

But opponents stressed that Frome should not be allowed to become simply a dormitory town. One speaker, who said Frome already had too many residents leaving town for work said simply: "This development is 80 per cent residential. This is over density."

Cllr John Nelson insisted that Saxonvale needed to be developed in the right way, because Frome has waited 25 years for the site to be developed and there was a lot to aspire to.

One other major issues was the number of affordable homes under the current plan - not the hoped for 30 per cent. Acorn Property Group insisted: " There is reason this site has lain dormant for so long. The resources for this site are finite. In simple terms it makes the site unviable (if there is not a mixed development)."

Cllr Richard Ackroyd, who opened the evening's proceedings by telling those in the Town Hall that this was still an outline proposal, later hinted that the ratio of affordable housing might be increased.

To resounding applause, opponents argued that they still do not have all the details and so asking them to comment by the end of Friday on Mendip's planning site, is premature.

The Initial planning application was made a year ago with the scheme for the ten acre brownfield site in the centre of Frome now updated.

Developers told the packed Town Hall many earlier recommendations have now been incorporated into the outline plans and include:

Fisher's Brook trees have been retained

Western Warehouse will be retained

The main access into the site, Garsdale Avenue, will no longer have parking on both sides of the road

The company is committed to building a footbridge into Rodden Meadow which will cost in excess of £100,000

The whole site will have a maximum 20 mph speed limit.

But none of this was enough to mollify the dissenters who reacted with fury about what it will mean for extra traffic going into the site and congestion at Gorehedge, with the developers conceding that increase in traffic to the site could potentially lead to a 60 vehicle tail back at peak times.

The local postmistress, whose business would be in the middle of any traffic snarl ups said:

"That tiny mini roundabout is access for all that traffic ? Is it all going to go through that little road.We already have terrible traffic problems at 3 o'clock when the school stops. I don't understand how traffic lights will solve this."

After an hour and a half of debate, Frome Town Council voted to: " Make it clear that we continue to object to the outline planning application. Strengthen our expressed disappointment that the quantum of non-residential floor space has not increased."

They also are putting in a request for additional time to consider the extra details which the scheme now offers, and for copies of all the documents to be put in the Town Hall and the library so that they can be shared with the public.